Back in January, I caught up to 1998 and finished Half Life on the PC.

Then, since I had a copy of the Xbox version of Half Life 2, which I’d acquired at a K-mart for the princely sum of $9.99, I tossed that into the 360 so I could see what happened next.

I played through the first half-hour or so and called it good. My plan was to wait until the Orange Box dropped in price, buy that, play Half Life 2 on that.

It took me a few months to realize that I was being a bit of a perfectionist, and in a way that costs money.

I have the Xbox version. It’s not as pretty as the Orange Box version but it’s the same game and I’ve already paid for it.

I’ve played Portal, and if I buy the Orange Box with Episodes 1 & 2 on it, it leaves me open to feeling rather foolish when Episode 3 comes out and they put out a compilation disc with all three episodes and Portal 2. Because, if I buy the Orange Box, they totally WILL put out a single compilation disc with all that stuff on it, and they will snigger heartlessly at my wailing.

So: I will wait on that, and in the meantime I am playing the game I already own. I’m up to “Water Hazard” so far, and while it’s got some shortcomings from being shoehorned onto the original Xbox, it’s still quite playable and enjoyable.

I still hate headcrabs, though. Oh, how I hate them. I’ll take on armed security goons with nothing but the crowbar, but headcrabs mean it’s submachinegun time.